How to find a job after 35 years. Elderly fund
People who are looking for work are often surprised to find that they have problems finding employment after the age of 35. For some reason, the employer without hesitation gives preference to young employees. And sometimes, in principle, it does not even consider applicants over a certain age. Where does it come from? It’s obvious that they have much less work experience! The urgency of this issue today is such that even if you are far from 35, there is no doubt that sooner or later it will definitely appear before you in all its glory. Agree that in our time hardly anyone can boast of a guarantee of stable work and constant income. Therefore, understanding the intricacies of getting a good job (and, as a consequence, a high standard of living) is the privilege of educated and conscientious people who want to manage their lives themselves.
Although it may sound paradoxical, the problem is not actually age as such. The fact is that from a certain point in everyone’s life there comes a period when they want more comfort and less stress. After 35 years, we begin to look at life more soberly, calmly and balancedly. It is very rare that someone retains youthful enthusiasm and audacity in achieving goals. Most of our ambitions disappear. Instead of striving to realize his dreams, a person begins to value a comfortable stay at work, wants to have a non-rigid boss, as flexible a work schedule as possible, to earn more and at the same time do less. Employers call it simply: the employee begins to “hang.”
Energetic young people who, as a rule, have big plans to “conquer the world, earn a million dollars, become president, etc.,” are tireless. They do not take into account fatigue, think less about rest, and are more willing to devote themselves completely to work. Such employees are ready to sacrifice comfort for the sake of implementing their grandiose projects. Ultimately, they certainly seem more efficient to the employer due to simply their willingness to spend more energy on the proposed area of work. After all, they are “burning”! There is such a time of “burning” in the life of every person. For most it lasts 5-10 years.
The two periods mentioned differ only in that in the first the priority for the employee is personal comfort, and in the second - success at work. This is the only reason why employers prefer young people.
What to do if you are over 35 years old and you are faced with an acute problem of employment? Remember the main thing. For an employer, it is not age that is important, but always only the personal qualities of a person. To get the job you want, be prepared to show at the interview that you have the same ambitions as a 25-year-old person. Of course, there is no need to demonstrate a desire to achieve fantastic results or, even worse, goals that are no longer suitable for your age. Show only one thing - your great desire to develop as a specialist. That you are not just ready to occasionally improve your skills, but that you do it constantly and - attention! - do you like it! For example, an accountant, in addition to listing the courses and seminars he has completed, must place significant emphasis on what areas of accounting he is currently studying in his free time, and be sure to ask what knowledge the company would like to see in his position, say, in a year. This will show the employer that, in addition to money, you expect satisfaction from your personal interests from this work, and that most importantly, these interests coincide with the interests of the company! Don't be afraid to overdo it. After all, in fact, each of us is really ready to acquire new skills if it makes his life better. Moreover, by constantly updating your knowledge, you will certainly feel a new taste in work.
The economic crisis, changes in consumer markets, new technologies requiring new knowledge make it difficult to find a job. And it is most difficult for middle-aged people. Firstly, sometimes they cannot remain without a stable income even for a couple of months, because they need to financially support their family. Secondly, it is no secret that most Russian companies prefer not to hire people over 35 years of age. The very understanding that you have to compete with young, ambitious candidates who are ready to accept a lower salary can cause stress and a feeling of internal discomfort. But personally, I am sure that in adulthood there are good chances in the labor market if you follow certain rules and principles in your career, do not relax and do not forget that the status and salary level already achieved are not a guarantee that tomorrow everything will be the same .
1. Relax in your comfort zone
What are the main arguments of companies against age specialists? Difficult character, complete or partial lack of physical and psychological energy, lack of ambition, poor motivation, inflexibility, reluctance to develop, insufficient openness to new information, especially technical or technological. There is a risk that an older candidate will not fit into a younger team. Often these are quite objective shortcomings and risks. And the most amazing thing is that people who receive a refusal for their reason, five to eight years ago, worked quite successfully in their chosen direction and even grew. What did they miss? What mistakes threw them to the sidelines of their careers? At what point does a person cross that invisible line beyond which it is difficult to find a job? The very moment he enters his comfort zone.
In interviews with recruiters, adult candidates often state: “I’m experienced,” implying a considerable number of years devoted to their professional field. But there is a small “but”. The number of years is not an indicator of experience. And, most importantly, we must not forget that experience is a very flexible concept.
Let me give you an example. An acquaintance of mine once approached me with a complaint that they broke up with him after 12 years of work. During the meeting, the most frequently heard words were: “I’m experienced,” “my experience,” “my years.” I asked my friend two questions. Question one: “How long does it take to learn to do your job at a normal, acceptable level if you want?” Answer: “One year.” Question two: “What does your 12 years of experience mean? Could you, for example, at the end of the eighth year say that your theoretical knowledge, skills, and technique have improved over the past 12 months? Have you developed professionally over the past 12 years? Or did you continue to do the same thing day after day?” “Of course, I did what was asked of me every day.” “Everything is clear,” I replied. “You don’t actually have twelve years of experience.” You only have one year of experience, which you repeated 11 times. And for this simple reason, it is absolutely easy to replace you with a young specialist, more energetic, ambitious, with more recent knowledge and with a lower salary.”
Having found a job and put daily responsibilities on a well-trodden track, some people subconsciously relax. It is from this moment, when the strongest desire becomes to feel safe, in the comfort zone, that problems begin. I often meet young people who are happy that they finish their work at five or six o’clock in the evening, that during the day they always have a couple of hours of free time to sit on social networks. They call it "good work." But in fact, this is what puts them at risk.
What to do? Realize that 10-15 years in the comfort zone will greatly impact your future career. Eliminate any idleness in your mind during working hours. It is this craving for idleness that, after years of living in a comfortable “cave,” leads to the collapse of its vaults.
2. Stop developing
The world of business moves forward at such a tremendous speed that even six months of inactivity in professional development can fall behind. One basic education received 20 years ago is clearly not enough to keep oneself in professional shape.
At the same time, professional development implies not only technical knowledge, but also a large number of humanitarian skills, which sometimes influence a career more than specific specialized skills. For example, powerful career catalysts include the ability to establish communications, presentation and self-expression skills, the ability to control stress, and knowledge of personal effectiveness techniques. All this can be learned. And it is necessary.
One of my friends has been complaining for a long time that he has no time to read. Yes, he understands how important it is to gain new knowledge, but there is too much work. And after just half an hour of conversation, it turns out that every day he spends an hour and a half on the road, listening to the radio, he could listen to books. Along with this, it turns out that proper planning of his workday and meetings will free up up to two more hours a day for him. And then there will be time, which is sorely lacking, to pay attention to family and friends.
What to do? First of all, plan your development. Plans should be made for every month and year, and periodically summarize their implementation so as not to get stuck in your comfort zone. Regular analysis of your achievements will allow you to keep your finger on the pulse of your career and adjust it depending on external conditions.
Read specialized magazines and articles. There are a lot of them on the Internet. A simple example: if you set aside 20 minutes a day to get acquainted with just two articles, over the years you will add 400-500 articles to your luggage and with them a lot of new information, opinions, criticism, knowledge, techniques and tools. And if you listen to audiobooks on the road, you will be provided with at least one book per month. Now remember how many books you have read? And how much time did you spend on the road?
Make your professional development a priority every day. If you can’t sign up for trainings, seminars, master classes, then watch it all on the Internet. At the end of each week, ask yourself: What have I done in the last few days to improve my future? And after a while it will become a habit for you - every day you invest one brick at a time into your future. And remember one important point: what seemed unshakably true a few years ago may not have any relevance today.
3. Lose your work-life balance
Another argument against older candidates is a decrease in activity in all areas, as well as psychological and emotional fatigue. What does this mean?
With age, there are more things to do and worries in both professional and personal life: family, everyday life, children, work. A person who does not know how to manage his time and does not know personal efficiency techniques becomes more and more tired with each passing month. And this affects everything: face, intonation, temperament and behavior both in everyday life and during an interview as a job applicant.
For years, not paying attention to the quality and diet, encouraging one’s bad habits, not devoting time to sports, a person undermines his body. The first signs of health problems begin precisely in middle age, that is, at the most crucial moment, when activity is extremely important. And if we add to this possible psychological fatigue, then such a candidate is unlikely to give the employer a guarantee of activity, dynamism and efficiency with his appearance and psychological attitude. On the contrary, due to everything said above, such people will strive for more measured work, will pay a little less attention to clients, and will be a little less patient with colleagues. And problems in an organization begin with the sum of all these “little things.”
What to do? Firstly, from a young age, take care of your health, lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, and learn to rest effectively. Secondly, spend at least half an hour every day on physical activity so that you can spend the remaining 23.5 hours more brightly and colorfully. No time for sports? Who’s stopping you from doing just 20 squats every hour? During the day you will do 150-200 of these exercises, you will get your blood pumping, you will lose calories, you will make your legs slimmer, and you will help warm up your spine, which hurts from sitting for many hours. Even such simple actions can make magical changes in a person’s appearance and psychological state.
4. Forget about networking
A network of connections and contacts, along with knowledge and experience, are one of the most important assets of a professional in any field. What happens to some people? They work for the same company for years and do not communicate with anyone outside of it. Nobody knows about them. And they themselves do not declare themselves. Even the best but unknown specialist will find it difficult to find a job if no one knows about him and his knowledge.
What to do? Attend seminars, business breakfasts, conferences. Make a rule: at least one event per month. Meet interesting people at these events, exchange business cards, and don’t forget to maintain your existing relationships. To remind yourself, the next day after your first meeting, write to your new acquaintances, thank them, and express your desire to meet again for a cup of coffee. Be sure to get involved in various industry communities to be able to exchange ideas and news. Connections are the most important capital that must be regularly increased by investing your time.
Who is responsible?
One of the main complaints of people who are lagging behind in professional development: the company did not pay attention to my growth. Yes, it's quite possible. It is very likely that the company did not have a budget for employee training. And what? You cannot leave your future, financial well-being, or career in the care of a company. Your company will, without a twinge of conscience, part with a specialist who has exhausted his resource, replacing him with a young promising personnel. It is very easy to part with a person who does not meet modern requirements and realities.
Is this attitude fair to older professionals? As someone who has worked for a long time as a manager in companies that pay exclusive attention to human capital, I can say with confidence that there is a big difference between biological and psychological age. Gain experience, develop, reach out for new things, take care of your health, stay young at heart - there will be no obstacles in front of you.
A career is like surfing. The fact that you are on the crest of a wave today does not mean at all that it will be forever. New big waves will regularly roll over you: tasks, projects, affairs, crises. And coping with them will require fresh skills and knowledge. For this reason, while still on the current wave, it is important to think about the next one and prepare for it. And if you relax at the moment of the highest takeoff, a new wave will throw you to the bottom, from where it is more difficult to rise.
After 40 years, men and women in Russia move from the category of successful professionals to the category of living corpses. Their fate is sealed - employers begin to look for replacements for them. These 40-year-old corpses still go to work for 2-3 years, but their cases are at the very top on the lists for dismissal.
This is how it is done in Russia.
In Russia, 40 years old is already an old man. In other countries, 40 years old is still young. Don't believe me? Here is the age classification of the World Health Organization:
25-44 – young age;
44-60 – middle age;
60-75 – old age;
75-90 – old age;
After 90 - long-livers.
Okay, they fired me. Tragedy? Typically the first few days. Then comes the wonderful time of dolce far niente. For some it lasts one or two months, for others it lasts up to six months, but for everyone it ends the same way - with doshirak from Auchan.
By this point, there are already 5-6 sluggish attempts to find a job, surfing through Headhunter vacancies becomes a habit, periodic calls to your previous job - maybe you’ve come to your senses. This usually happens to everyone fired after 40 years.
Oleg Ivanov, psychologist, conflict specialist, head of the Center for Resolution of Social Conflicts.
But enough fiddling around, let’s turn to the experts for comments. , head of the Center for Resolving Social Conflicts, believes that 40-year-old workers have experience, but knowledge is not enough. “By the age of 40, you have a lot of experience, but the knowledge is outdated, because 40-year-old specialists studied back in the 90s, when there was a change in economic, political and social systems,” says Ivanov. “It is extremely difficult to obtain a quality education without leaving work, so managers hire young specialists to take their place. It’s easier for an employer to hire a young 25-year-old specialist with a fresh knowledge base and teach him practical skills on the job.”
The general director of the Perspektiva Business and Career Development Center notes that employers, when ordering employees, check the box “up to 40 years old.”
Natalya Storozheva, General Director of the Perspective Business and Career Development Center
“Employers really prefer employees aged 24 to 38 years and, based on my experience, they often set a limit of “preferably up to 40.” Especially when it comes to line specialists.” According to Storozheva, the reasons are not age as such, but the fact that 40-year-old employees are not active and sedentary. “A 40-year-old manager needs arguments why it is necessary to leave the comfortable office and go - oh, horror, if by metro! - to a meeting with the customer. Moreover, such an employee will not only resist, but also convince the employer that it is more effective from the point of view of time management to send a letter, a commercial proposal, and then call twice. Employees over 40 are also extremely reluctant to attend any business events: exhibitions, conferences, round tables, master classes. And they really don’t like constant business trips.”
Another problem is poor management of older employees. “A person after a certain age is either the same age as the leader or older than him. And this creates problems in interaction.” Here are the three main problems with interaction:
1) Subordination is often broken. Older employees sometimes choose an “equal” style of communication with their manager, which is unpleasant and unacceptable.
2) Hidden or obvious rivalry with the leader may arise, and this, in turn, leads to informal leadership or conflicts, destabilizing the situation in the team.
3) Regardless of the employee’s behavior, a young manager may not feel confident enough when surrounded by older employees.
Oleg Ivanov also encountered something similar in his work. “There are many cases when an adult with formed views, stereotypes, and behavior comes to the team and provokes a conflict with other team members. Relearning, finding an approach and showing loyalty at this age is much more difficult than for yesterday’s student.”
By the way, the mail just squeaked and the latest issue of the Megaplan newsletter fell into the mailbox. And there it is written in black and white about the benefits of conflicts in the work team. Read if you wish.
Yana Alferova, Director of Organizational Development and Human Resources at Acumatica
“Young heads of departments, teams and groups are often not ready to see “aged” specialists among their subordinates, to which they classify candidates over 35, and sometimes 30 years old,” says from Acumatica. “The fear of managing adults and already established personalities pushes young and inexperienced managers to give preference to hiring peers.”
According to Alferova, in the IT sector the number of executives aged 24-26 years is higher than in other industries. This is due to the following reasons:
1) Demographic situation (crisis of the 90s)
2) Brain drain abroad
3) Constant competition for IT specialists between IT companies within the country
“Employers have to provide employees with excessive operational development within the company (both horizontal and vertical).” And since the career ladder is so rapid, young managers do not have time to “mature” and acquire management skills. In the manufacturing sector, the attitude towards candidates over 40 years of age is more loyal, since the managers themselves are approximately the same age, and the assessment of the required experience and competencies is based on rational characteristics. “For the position of technologist, power engineer or designer, candidates over 40 will be considered quite calmly. If we are talking about a working specialty with heavy physical activity, preference will be given to a younger candidate,” says Alferova.
The findings are disappointing. For workers over 40 years old, and in IT over 35 years old, employers close their doors. Tightly and forever. You can convince yourself that you are “overqualified” as much as you want; the real reason for refusing to hire you is that you are an old fart.
But it is not all that bad. And most likely, everything is very good. 40-year-olds have a great chance to work in project teams where results are valued, not “bright eyes”. Remote work is also developing rapidly. For employers from Europe and the USA, you, according to the WHO classification, are still young. Let us also note Japan, where the government, in partnership with insurance companies, has developed an unemployment program.
Life goes on. Only now it’s remote work.
Is it possible for a woman to find a job at 30, when her children are already grown up, but the lack of experience and work experience is an insurmountable obstacle to building a successful career? As a rule, vacancies on employment sites are designed for young people without work experience, and a 30-year-old employee, according to the employer, should already have some experience.
Yes, the psychology of employers is not always clear, but nevertheless, it is still possible to find a job after 30. Even if your work experience is short, at thirty you can find a good job if you focus on your advantages.
An established family life, strong motivation to earn money and build a career, the ability to learn quickly, respond to new market demands - bring these arguments in your favor and, perhaps, the psychology of your superiors will change and the desired job will go to you.
✔ 5 steps that will bring you success
For women over 30, writing a resume correctly is very important. The psychology of HR department workers, who must make a choice from dozens and hundreds of applicants, allows them to weed out frankly weak resumes. Therefore, a young girl without work experience may lose in an equal fight to women after 30 years of age. Describe your experience, even small, focus on your specialized education, emphasize your professionalism, responsibility and ambition, create a portfolio - and working in the company of your dreams will become a reality;
Women at 35 are able to work hard, they can become the most conscientious and reliable employees. During the interview, express your readiness to stay late in the office to carry out important assignments, note that you will not forget about the project deadlines and will not confuse the names of your business partners. Don’t forget that your interlocutor is looking for just such an employee, so give him the opportunity to discern these qualities in you;
the question of how to find a job after 35 years old will cease to be relevant if a woman knows how to use a computer, knows foreign languages, attends seminars, engages in self-education, and uses current skills and new knowledge in her professional activities. Don’t forget about your appearance, because a 35-year-old woman is simply obliged to look so good that a question about her age looks, at a minimum, inappropriate;
Jobs for women over 30 can be found not only on employment sites. Try to expand your search circle, involve your girlfriends and former colleagues, actively communicate on social networks, and you will definitely find a job in the field that interests you;
sometimes it’s worth lowering your expectations, because after 35 years old it’s really not easy to find a suitable job. Unfortunately, the jobs offered to women by employers do not always correspond to the desired salary level. But your goal is to get a specific job, and the conversation about remuneration for your work can be continued after some time.
✔ How to behave during an interview?
Don't try to feel complex about your age. Your lack of self-confidence will affect the results of the interview, and obviously not in your favor. A woman over 30 should be able to look dignified and balanced in any situation.
It is quite acceptable to inquire about the size of your salary, but do not immediately try to find out the prospects for its growth - the purpose of the interview for you is to find a job, and too obvious an interest in a financial issue may scare off the employer. Work for women of any age is a way to increase their self-esteem and gain the opportunity to express themselves. Conduct a dialogue from this point of view, and the problem of how to find a job will be resolved with unprecedented ease.
About personal effectiveness. In it, business consultant, business coach, blogger, author of books on time management and achieving success, as well as on a healthy lifestyle and weight loss, F. Agayev, identifies 4 mistakes of a professional that kill a career, and tells how to avoid them, so that in any case age to beat younger competitors:
The economic crisis, changes in consumer markets, new technologies requiring new knowledge make it difficult to find a job. And it is most difficult for middle-aged people. Firstly, sometimes they cannot remain without a stable income even for a couple of months, because they need to financially support their family. Secondly, it is no secret that most companies prefer not to hire people over 35 years of age. The very understanding that you have to compete with young, ambitious candidates who are ready to accept a lower salary can cause stress and a feeling of internal discomfort. But personally, I am sure that in adulthood there are good chances in the labor market if you follow certain rules and principles in your career, do not relax and do not forget that the status and salary level already achieved are not a guarantee that tomorrow everything will be the same .
1. Relax in your comfort zone
What are the main arguments of companies against age specialists? Difficult character, complete or partial lack of physical and psychological energy, lack of ambition, poor motivation, inflexibility, reluctance to develop, insufficient openness to new information, especially technical or technological. There is a risk that an older candidate will not fit into a younger team. Often these are quite objective shortcomings and risks. And the most amazing thing is that people who receive a refusal for their reason, five to eight years ago, worked quite successfully in their chosen direction and even grew. What did they miss? What mistakes threw them to the sidelines of their careers? At what point does a person cross that invisible line beyond which it is difficult to find a job? The very moment he enters his comfort zone.
In interviews with recruiters, adult candidates often state: “I’m experienced,” implying a considerable number of years devoted to their professional field. But there is a small "but". The number of years is not an indicator of experience. And, most importantly, we must not forget that experience is a very flexible concept.
Let me give you an example. An acquaintance of mine once approached me with a complaint that they broke up with him after 12 years of work. During the meeting, the words most often heard were: “I’m experienced,” “my experience,” “my years.” I asked my friend two questions. Question one: “How long does it take to learn to do your job at a normal, acceptable level if you want?” Answer: "One year." Question two: “What do your 12 years of experience mean? Could you, for example, at the end of the eighth year, say that over the past 12 months your theoretical knowledge, skills, and techniques have improved? Have you developed professionally over the course of 12 years? Or continued day by day do the same thing every day? “Of course, I did what was asked of me every day.” “Everything is clear,” I answered. “In fact, you don’t have twelve years of experience. You only have one year of experience, which you repeated 11 times. And for this simple reason, it’s completely easy to replace you with a young specialist, more energetic, ambitious, with more recent knowledge and with a lower salary."
Having found a job and put daily responsibilities on a well-trodden track, some people subconsciously relax. It is from this moment, when the strongest desire becomes to feel safe, in the comfort zone, that problems begin. I often meet young people who are happy that they finish their work at five or six o’clock in the evening, that during the day they always have a couple of hours of free time to sit on social networks. They call it "good work." But in fact, this is what puts them at risk.
What to do? Realize that 10-15 years in the comfort zone will greatly impact your future career. Eliminate any idleness in your mind during working hours. It is this craving for idleness that, after years of living in a comfortable “cave,” leads to the collapse of its vaults.
2. Stop developing
The world of business moves forward at such a tremendous speed that even six months of inactivity in professional development can fall behind. One basic education received 20 years ago is clearly not enough to keep oneself in professional shape.
At the same time, professional development implies not only technical knowledge, but also a large number of humanitarian skills, which sometimes influence a career more than specific specialized skills. For example, powerful career catalysts include the ability to establish communications, presentation and self-expression skills, the ability to control stress, and knowledge of personal effectiveness techniques. All this can be learned. And it is necessary.
One of my friends has been complaining for a long time that he has no time to read. Yes, he understands how important it is to gain new knowledge, but there is too much work. And after just half an hour of conversation, it turns out that every day he spends an hour and a half on the road, listening to the radio, he could listen to books. Along with this, it turns out that proper planning of his workday and meetings will free up up to two more hours a day for him. And then there will be time, which is sorely lacking, to pay attention to family and friends.
What to do? First of all, plan your development. Plans should be made for every month and year and periodically summarize their implementation so as not to get stuck in your comfort zone. Regular analysis of your achievements will allow you to keep your finger on the pulse of your career and adjust it depending on external conditions.
Read specialized magazines and articles. There are a lot of them on the Internet. A simple example: if you set aside 20 minutes a day to get acquainted with just two articles, over the years you will add 400-500 articles to your luggage and with them a lot of new information, opinions, criticism, knowledge, techniques and tools. And if you listen to audiobooks on the road, you will be provided with at least one book per month. Now remember how many books you have read? And how much time did you spend on the road?
Make your professional development a priority every day. If you can’t sign up for trainings, seminars, master classes, then watch it all on the Internet. At the end of each week, ask yourself: What have I done in the last few days to improve my future? And after a while it will become a habit for you - every day you invest one brick at a time into your future. And remember one important point: what seemed unshakably true a few years ago may not have any relevance today.
3. Lose your work-life balance
Another argument against older candidates is a decrease in activity in all areas, as well as psychological and emotional fatigue. What does this mean?
With age, there are more things to do and worries in both professional and personal life: family, everyday life, children, work. A person who does not know how to manage his time and does not know personal efficiency techniques becomes more and more tired with each passing month. And this affects everything: face, intonation, temperament and behavior both in everyday life and during an interview as a job applicant.
For years, not paying attention to the quality and diet, encouraging one’s bad habits, not devoting time to sports, a person undermines his body. The first signs of health problems begin precisely in middle age, that is, at the most crucial moment, when activity is extremely important. And if we add to this possible psychological fatigue, then such a candidate is unlikely to give the employer a guarantee of activity, dynamism and efficiency with his appearance and psychological attitude. On the contrary, due to everything said above, such people will strive for more measured work, will pay a little less attention to clients, and will be a little less patient with colleagues. And problems in an organization begin with the sum of all these “slightly”.
What to do? Firstly, from a young age, take care of your health, lead a healthy lifestyle, eat right, and learn to rest effectively. Secondly, spend at least half an hour every day on physical activity so that you can spend the remaining 23.5 hours more brightly and colorfully. No time for sports? Who’s stopping you from doing just 20 squats every hour? During the day you will do 150-200 of these exercises, you will get your blood pumping, you will lose calories, you will make your legs slimmer, and you will help warm up your spine, which hurts from sitting for many hours. Even such simple actions can make magical changes in a person’s appearance and psychological state.
4. Forget about networking
A network of connections and contacts, along with knowledge and experience, are one of the most important capitals of a professional in any field. What happens to some people? They work for the same company for years and do not communicate with anyone outside of it. Nobody knows about them. And they themselves do not declare themselves. Even the best but unknown specialist will find it difficult to find a job if no one knows about him and his knowledge.
What to do? Attend seminars, business breakfasts, conferences. Make a rule: at least one event per month. Meet interesting people at these events, exchange business cards, and don’t forget to maintain your existing relationships. To remind yourself, the next day after your first meeting, write to your new acquaintances, thank them, and express your desire to meet again for a cup of coffee. Be sure to get involved in various industry communities to be able to exchange ideas and news. Connections are the most important capital that must be regularly increased by investing your time.
Who is responsible?
One of the main complaints of people who are lagging behind in professional development: the company did not pay attention to my growth. Yes, it's quite possible. It is very likely that the company did not have a budget for employee training. And what? You cannot leave your future, financial well-being, or career in the care of a company. Your company will, without a twinge of conscience, part with a specialist who has exhausted his resource, replacing him with a young promising personnel. It is very easy to part with a person who does not meet modern requirements and realities.
Is this attitude fair to older professionals? As someone who has worked for a long time as a manager in companies that pay exclusive attention to human capital, I can say with confidence that there is a big difference between biological and psychological age. Gain experience, develop, reach out for new things, take care of your health, stay young at heart - there will be no obstacles in front of you.
A career is like surfing. The fact that you are on the crest of a wave today does not mean at all that it will be forever. New big waves will regularly roll over you: tasks, projects, affairs, crises. And coping with them will require fresh skills and knowledge. For this reason, while still on the current wave, it is important to think about the next one and prepare for it. And if you relax at the moment of the highest takeoff, a new wave will throw you to the bottom, from where it is more difficult to rise.